


Ballet Class

by Azdaema



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Gen, It's hard to say with a 5-year-old's crush, Kindergarten age, Pre-Series, Twincest?, childhood crushes, platonic?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 15:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12435978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azdaema/pseuds/Azdaema
Summary: That time 5-year-old Cheryl threw a tantrum in ballet class because Polly said she liked Jason too.





	Ballet Class

**Author's Note:**

> _"Orange freezes [at Pop's] with my mom and Polly after ballet,"_  
>  -Betty, Chapter 15
> 
> That one line got me thinking about what that Riverdale children's ballet class might've been like. And that idea turned into this fic. I tried to get into my little-kid headspace to write this—to remember a time when classmates throwing tantrums was common enough it was only mildly embarrassing, when "hate" and "stupid" were bad words, and when telling someone that someone else _liked_ them was nearly treasonous. I'm not sure how well I did, but I had fun writing it, thinking about what was and wasn't taboo at that age. I imagine 5-year-old Cheryl as a lot like contemporary Cheryl, but with _even less_ of a filter.

The little girls stand lined up along the barre. They wear identical pink unitards, and the pink clashes horribly with Cheryl's hair.

(Many of them are the same girls who will one day become River Vixens, and this is their first introduction to dance.)

Cheryl stands next to Polly. Cheryl is 5, and Polly is 6.

They aren't supposed to talk, but the teacher isn't paying attention right now. She's focused on Josie, who's the best dancer in their class.

Still, erring on the side of caution, it's in a half-whisper when Polly leans over to Cheryl and asks, "Who do you _like_?"

Both girls look across the room to the far wall, where the boys are lined up. There aren't many in ballet class.

Cheryl doesn't know Polly very well, and so her asking this question seems rather forward. But perhaps it's not too surprising: Polly is open and friendly with _everyone_.

Polly _is_ older, and so from that perspective it's rather flattering that she has deigned to ask Cheryl. Mostly though, when Cheryl replies it's because it's hard for this neglected little girl to let _any_ instance of someone paying her attention go unrewarded.

"Jason," Cheryl says.

(Jason is only in ballet class at all because after the first day, when Cheryl left in tears but their parents refused to let her quit, he promised her he would be there with her.)

Polly smiles at Cheryl. "Me too," she confides. Her expression is blithe and unconcerned, and she reaches out to squeeze Cheryl's hand—to solidify the bond created by their shared disclosure.

But Cheryl pulls her hand back and her eyes furrow. Scowling at Polly, she angrily protests, "No fair! I already like him, you can't like him too."

(Cheryl is bad at sharing. Her kindergarten teacher has said this many times. Unlike most of her classmates, Cheryl never went to preschool; she and Jason stayed home with a nanny. She never _had_ to share with anyone but him before—and sharing with _Jason_ was different.

The fact that her kindergarten teacher also makes up name-related puns to encourage Cheryl to share doesn't help matters.)

Polly, shocked by this sudden change of pace, takes a moment to catch up. When she does, though, she jumps to defend herself and proclaims, "I liked him first!"

Cheryl stares at Polly in bewilderment. How _dumb_ is this girl? Does she _genuinely not realize_ how absurd that claim sounds? Polly has only known Jason for a few months, while Cheryl has known him all her life. How could Polly _possibly_ believe she has liked Jason longer?

"No you didn't, I did!" Cheryl yells. "You're _stupid_!" She practically spits the forbidden word at Polly.

Cheryl doesn't realize she has yelled until suddenly the whole class is staring at her. She doesn't care.

"Girls!" their dance teacher says sharply, crossing over to them. "What is this?"

Cheryl's face is red now, full of righteous fury, and she turns to their teacher. "Polly likes Jason _toooo_!"

(Somewhere fall above the little girls' head, the teacher sighs. She never knows quite how to respond to the absurd social drama of kindergarteners. And especially when it's with _Cheryl_ , who is a difficult pupil at the best of times.)

As soon as he hears his sister's cries, Jason runs across the room. He steps between them, creating a barrier between Cheryl, and both Polly _and_ their teacher. He stands there like a sentinel, with all the determination a 5-year-old-can muster. "What did you _do_?" he demands of Polly. 

But Cheryl responds before Polly can. "Polly _likes_ you!" she wails.

Polly blushes as pink as her unitard, and stares at Cheryl in abject horror. She can barely believe this—that Cheryl would go so far as to break _that_ taboo. First she had told a _teacher_ , which was bad enough, but _this_? To _tell_ a _boy_ that a girl _liked him_ was unthinkable. Yet, Cheryl has done it.

If they were fighting dirty then so be it. Polly lashes back, crying "Cheryl likes you _too_!"

For all the shock Polly though those words held, Jason completely ignores both declarations. He just moves a step over so he better shields Cheryl from her attacker, and says to Polly—in a tone that made it clear that _this_ was the only real issue here—"You made my sister cry!"

Their teacher sighs and kneels down so she is on the level with the children. "Polly, sweetie, Cheryl is Jason's sister. She didn't mean she liked him the same way you did."

A wave of fury breaks over Cheryl. She _hates_ her teacher then. She hates all adults. How _dare_ they presume to know what she does or doesn't feel.

"I _did_ mean it!" she screams.

Their teacher sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, trying hard to be patient. "Cheryl, sweetie, you can't have a crush on your brother."

(She can't _stand_ this girl right now, but reminds herself to call Cheryl "sweetie" anyways, because if she doesn’t then _no one_ will. The few brief times she met the twins' parents were enough to make _that_ clear.)

Cheryl glares at her through red, teary eyes full of ire. Then she reaches down, tears off her ballet slippers, and hurls them at the woman's face in the same moment that she declares, "I _hate_ you." This word, _hate_ , is another thing adults have denied her, and flinging that at her teacher feels almost good as flinging the shoes.

Not waiting to see if they hit her or not, Cheryl whirls around and runs for the door. It takes all of her strength to push it open, but she manages it, and dashes out of the rec center toward the playground.

(This is the day many of her classmates realize that Cheryl Blossom truly knows no bounds.)

Jason looks over his shoulder at Polly with a look that's both apologetic and blaming, then runs after Cheryl.

Their teacher catches the slippers in mid-air. She closes eyes for a second and takes a deep breath in and out through her nose. Then she sets Cheryl's shoes down by the wall and turns to her class. "Alright," she says, "First position, everyone."


End file.
